IPL: BCCI announces schedule for 2 weeks, defending champs CSK to play RCB in opener
New Delhi, Feb 19: Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening encounter of the 12th Indian Premier League for which a provisional two-week schedule was announced by the BCCI on Tuesday.
The opening game has been scheduled for March 23 in Chennai, the BCCI announced in its schedule comprising 17 games.
The IPL will be off to an earlier-than-usual start this year owing to the general elections, dates of which are yet to be announced. Any change in the provisional itinerary from March 23 to April 5 will be revised accordingly.
"These are still subject to the announcement of the Lok Sabha 2019 election dates. Once these have been released, the BCCI will address any issues with the first two weeks and will also prepare a schedule for the remainder of the season working with the local authorities around the polling dates," read an official statement from the IPL.
On March 24, Kolkata Knight Riders will host Sunrisers Hyderabad in the afternoon encounter of a double header in which Mumbai Indians will take on Delhi Capitals in Mumbai.
Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab will meet each other in Jaipur to complete the first round of games.
A total of 17 matches will be played during this two-week phase across the 8 home venues of the respective franchises.
All teams will play a minimum of four games with Delhi Capitals and RCB competing in five matches each during this time. Every side will play a minimum of two home and two away matches except for Delhi and RCB. While Delhi will compete in three home games, RCB will play an equal number of away encounters.
While the weekends will have double-headers but the schedule doesn't clarify whether the BCCI will continue with the usual 4pm (afternoon) and 8 pm (evening) format or there will be a change in timing.
Itinerary
March 23: CSK vs RCB (Chennai) March 24: KKR vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (Kolkata, Afternoon Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals (Mumbai, Evening) March 25: Rajasthan Royals vs KXIP (Jaipur) March 26: Delhi Capitals vs CSK (Delhi) March 27: KKR vs KXIP (Kolkata) March 28: RCB vs MI (Bengaluru) March 29: Sunrisers vs Rajasthan Royals (Hyderabad) March 30: KXIP vs MI (Mohali, Afternoon) Delhi Capitals vs KKR (Delhi, Evening) March 31: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs RCB (Hyderabad, Afternoon) CSK vs Rajasthan Royals (Chennai, Evening) April 1: KXIP vs Delhi Capitals (Mohali) April 2: Rajasthan Royals vs RCB (Jaipur) April 3: MI vs CSK (Mumbai) April 4: Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (Delhi) April 5: RCB vs KKR (Bengaluru).Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Iran's World Cup place in US put in doubt by Middle East war. FIFA has Iraq next in line
Geneva (AP): Iran's place at the men's World Cup in three months' time was put in doubt Monday amid an escalating Middle East conflict sparked by the soccer tournament's co-host the United States.
Iran is due to play its three group stage games in the U.S. — two in Inglewood, California, then in Seattle — from June 15-26. Cities in Canada and Mexico also will host some of the 104 games.
The U.S. and Israel have targeted Iran in coordinated attacks since Saturday that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens more senior officials.
It provoked an Iranian response that aimed missiles at U.S. allies including 2022 World Cup host Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which FIFA has picked to stage the 2034 edition.
“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” said Iran's top soccer official Mehdi Taj, a vice president of the Asian Football Confederation.
It is unclear if the state-backed Iranian soccer federation could refuse to send its team to the 48-nation tournament that starts June 11, or the U.S. government could effectively block the team.
FIFA has declined comment since Saturday, when secretary general Mattias Grafström said it would “monitor developments around all issues around the world.”
The White House's top official overseeing World Cup preparations, Andrew Guiliani, seemed unconcerned Saturday in a social media post.
“We'll deal with soccer games tomorrow,” Guiliani wrote about Iran, “tonight, we celebrate their opportunity for freedom.”
Here is a look at the issues in play:
Asian soccer power
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Iran has one of the best national teams in Asia and has qualified for six of the past eight World Cups.
It is No. 20 in the FIFA world rankings of 211 teams, and has not been lower than No. 24 since the last World Cup in Qatar.
Iran was among the second-seeded teams in the World Cup draw held in Washington, D.C. in December, minutes after U.S. President Donald Trump was presented with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
Though Taj and other Iranian soccer officials were denied visas to enter the U.S., the draw outcome was favorable for Iran, especially in the expanded format where most third-place teams advance to the knockout rounds.
Iran starts against low-ranked New Zealand, then plays one of the weaker top-seeded nations, Belgium, and finishes against Egypt.
Iran is likely to be supported in stadiums by its diaspora in the U.S., though residents of the Middle East nation are subject to a ban on entering the country.
Trump's government has promised exemptions from its travels bans for athletes and coaches arriving for major sports events like the World Cup.
Politics around Iran inside World Cup stadiums is nothing new. Protests over domestic issues were aired by Iran fans at the last World Cup.
The FIFA rules
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FIFA's World Cup regulations envisage a team withdrawing, or being excluded, from the tournament though the legal language is vague to say the least.
In that scenario, according to Article 6.7, “FIFA shall decide on the matter at its sole discretion and take whatever action is deemed necessary.”
“FIFA may decide to replace the Participating Member Association in question with another association,” the rules say.
That legal framing seems to give FIFA president Gianni Infantino wide powers to shape any decision relating to Iran.
Just 18 months ago, the decision announced by Infantino to add Lionel Messi's team Inter Miami to the 2025 Club World Cup lineup appeared to have no basis in formal tournament rules.
Consequences of withdrawingShould Iran pull out of the World Cup — still hugely speculative — its soccer federation would forfeit at least $10.5 million.
FIFA pays $9 million in prize money to each of the 16 federations whose teams fail to advance from the group stage, and all 48 qualified teams get $1.5 million “to cover preparation costs.”
The Iranian federation also would face disciplinary fines from FIFA — at least 250,000 Swiss francs ($321,000) for withdrawing up to 30 days before the tournament, and at least 500,000 Swiss francs ($642,000) if the decision is in the last month before kickoff.
Iran would risk being excluded by FIFA from qualifying for the next World Cup in 2030 as well.
Next in line
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Iran was a fast World Cup qualifier last March, earning one of eight guaranteed places allocated to the Asian Football Confederation.
Should Iran pull out, the likely replacement from Asia should be Iraq or the United Arab Emirates.
Iraq and the UAE were effectively the ninth and 10th-ranked Asian teams through the various qualifying groups and advanced to a two-leg playoff last November.
Iraq won 3-2 on aggregate — eliminating the UAE — to advance to the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico and, on March 31, it is scheduled to play an elimination game against Bolivia or Suriname with a World Cup place at stake.
One possible element of uncertainty is the language of the World Cup tournament rules.
FIFA wrote that it can decide to replace a withdrawn team “with another association,” though without specifying the replacement must come from the same continental confederation.
